AN: Hey, everyone! I've got to go back to school soon, but I'll try to have one more update up before that happens! At any rate, I've been thoroughly enjoying my Spring Break. To answer one Guest Review, yes Bloom was sent to Berk during Domino's destruction and not into the past.
Hiccup opens the door one morning to yet another dragon attack, Bloom following close behind him - they need to get to Gobber's shop, to help repair weapons as they're damaged, according to everyone else anyway.
They duck and weave, Bloom leading Hiccup by the arm and keeping out of people's ways. They still manage to get in the way though, Stoick picking Hiccup up by the back of his vest and asking why they aren't inside. Bloom yanks him at the ankle, saying "Yeah, we're on it, we didn't sleep in the forge though!"
That seems to satisfy Stoick somehow, Hiccup's not sure how, and they run into the shop - Bloom gets the forge started, Hiccup brings the weapons to it. How she can stand the full heat of the forge is a mystery to everyone in Berk - Gobber included. She barely breaks out in a sweat, doesn't seem to notice the temperatures that can melt metal and cook a person through. It makes her invaluable in the forge, and she refuses to be something Hiccup can't be - so, they both learned everything Gobber knows.
Bloom focuses on the fires in the forge, trying to block out the sounds of the fighting and Hiccup arguing with Gobber - he wants to be accepted by the tribe, Bloom thinks that if they won't accept the two of them for who they are then screw them.
Of course, when she looks up, Hiccup and the contraption he built are missing.
"Oh, Hiccup!" She runs outside, ducking and weaving between villagers and warriors, desperately trying to find her brother. He's always been skinny and weak - but he's got a brilliant mind and plenty of traits that the entire town could use an entire school year on, much less a lesson. Empathy, ingenuity, ideas for how to make up for what he doesn't have in muscle mass, etc. And all he wants is to be one of the clan, be accepted by them. Maybe get a girlfriend. But he's kind of clutzy, he can't swing a sword or hammer, and he's always been different from all the other Vikings.
Bloom loves that differentness, but everybody else scorns it - Gobber least of all, though even he disapproves. And Stoick, their father, he hates it most of all.
Bloom doesn't end up finding Hiccup, she finds a sparkling pure white dragon with silver, cream, and pink markings that attacks her in the heat of battle. It's got bright blue eyes, and she's sure it's going to kill her - despite all the weird occurrences she's noticed over the years. Dragons coming up to her in the grass, Terrible Terrors mostly. Bringing her food, of many kinds and usually cooked through. Playing with her, letting her run her fingers over their scales. And then they'd always run and hide when someone else came along.
But this one, she's sure it'll shoot her with that nearly-white blast of bright fire she saw shoot out of its mouth. The dragon gets within touching distance of her, then takes a long breath in to likely make a blast - then her eyes widen and she snaps her mouth shut, and takes a step back with her head bowed to the ground. Bloom isn't sure why she thinks this dragon is female, but she's extremely sure of it. And then she gets the craziest idea, and reaches her hand towards the bright white head with silvery markings presented in front of her.
She gets within an inch when she hears Hiccup screaming in terror.
Both dragon and girl whip their head up to see Hiccup running from a Monstrous Nightmare, and Bloom takes off running. She thanks every Norse god she can think of for the fact that she's always been able to run fast when she needs to, and makes it over between Hiccup and the Monstrous Nightmare. "No! You want him, you'll have to take me to!" It stops and stares, and Hiccup looks out from behind the large torch pole to see Bloom with her arms outstretched in front of him.
She's always held a defiance that's impressed everyone in the village, right along with the attitude of 'mess-with-my-brother-and-you-get-beaten-up-by-me' that has likely been what's kept the other kids from picking on him too much over the years. It growls at her, and Hiccup could swear it almost sounds like it wants her to get out of the way.
Whatever the case, Bloom yells "No! You want to cook somebody, you'll cook me! Come on, big guy!"
It looks between her and Hiccup, then takes off just as Stoick and some other warriors arrive.
"Bloom, Hiccup, what happened? Why did the Monstrous Nightmare leave?"
Hiccup quickly says "It must have been out of juice, Dad. Oh, and I shot down a Night Fury."
Stoick doesn't seem to care, and picks him up by the vest.
Bloom asks "You what? What do you mean you shot down a Night Fury?!"
"I mean, I shot down a Night Fury. Everybody else was busy, I had a clear shot, and then the other dragon came out of nowhere, and-"
Stoick sighs and says "Hiccup. Enough. Go inside, I'll clean up your latest mess." Hiccup shuts up at that, seeing the usual disappointed scowl on his father's face. Bloom sees it to, and inwardly grits her teeth - Stoick's always too hard on Hiccup, even though he honestly has made his share of messes over the years. "Gobber, make sure they get home."
He nods, lightly hitting Hiccup over the back of the head - and Bloom's furious glare silences the rest of the teens' teasing, nobody gives glares like Bloom can. And Snotlout, the self-appointed big man on Berk, can't decide between her and Astrid - probably because they both reject him time and again.
When she catches up to the pair, Hiccup's doing an impression of their father complaining about the kid he got - pretending Stoick ordered a kid built like Snotlout and with his temperament and glory. Gobber asks him to stop trying to be something he's not, and Hiccup replies "I just want to be one of you guys."
Bloom goes completely still, then storms forward and says "All he wants is to be accepted in this village, is that really too much to ask of you people? To judge people based on who they are and not how thick their heads and arms are?" She storms off into the forest, calling "Hiccup, I'm going for a walk!"
Gobber says "You-Your supposed to wait here!"
"There's nobody out in the forest to get in the way of! Just as good to him and better by far for me!" She keeps going until she can't hear the sounds of the village anymore, letting herself pretend to get lost in the wilderness - she never told anyone about how dragons would lead her back until she just knew the way. How Deadly Nadders and Gronckles let her run her hands along their spikes and bumps - respectively - and how no dragon has ever actually ever hurt her before.
That almost changed though. That dragon was moments from shooting me to ashes.
She suddenly hears a tree branch crack, and gets low to the ground. She draws her dagger, one of the matching set she and Hiccup made together for each other - never go anywhere without a knife - and slowly starts forward.
When she gets to a small clearing, she finds the dragon from before - the bright white one, seems the glowing markings are much harder to see in daylight. And she's sniffing the air, looking around like she's looking for someone.
She slowly starts forward, her knife at the ready but her arm hanging loosely, and takes slow steps and makes sure to make plenty of noise so she knows the fifteen-year-old girl is coming. The white dragon looks up and sits down, apparently recognizing her from their last encounter.
"You…you remember me, don't you?" The dragon nods at her. "Will you hurt me? Like you almost did?" That question gets a lowered head, almost like the dragon is ashamed of the fact. "Can I take that as a no then?" That gets a vigorous nod, and Bloom finds she's maybe a foot from the dragon.
The dragon is a good head and chest length taller than her, but she takes a step back and lays down on the ground at Bloom's feet - putting herself at the armed human's mercy.
Bloom's dumbstruck, she's got no idea what's going on. "Please, no. Don't…don't bow to me or anything, please. I already hate the fact that dragons and humans hate each other, please don't start acting like I'm better than you or anything."
The dragon looks up in shock, and sees Bloom's hand rubbing her forehead. She shoves her knife back into her belt, and sits down next to the dragon - earning an incredulous gaze from her. "What? I'm not allowed to sit down? If you were going to kill me, I'd be dead and eaten already. I know that, there's no way I couldn't know that."
The dragon nods and rises to four legs, sniffing at Bloom's hair and body. "Hey, easy, easy! I know, I smell like the village. But I don't have anything to eat, promise!"
She starts laughing as the dragon's smoky breath tickles her neck, and then the weirdest thing happens when she puts her hand on the dragon's nose to push her off. Something burning hot passes between them, from who to who is a complete mystery though. "Woah, what was that?"
Bloom could swear the dragon shrugs, looks like she's got no clue either. Something's different though, no doubt about it. She can feel it, like now there's a campfire in her chest where before there was just a few embers. The dragon thrums, putting her nose in Bloom's hand of her own accord - even lifting her hand up to get there better.
The entire village will go nuts if I tell them this. But I can't keep this a secret forever, right?
She doesn't know, but it looks like she's just made a new friend.
They both hear the sound of a roar - similar to this dragon's roar, but deeper like it's a male's. "Ok…that's probably not good. Um…what should I call you?"
The dragon's looking at her expectantly, almost like she wants Bloom to pick a name. "Alright, should I pick?" That gets a nod. "Alright…how about Brightfire? Is that good?" That gets a flapping of wings and a roar to the skies - and a big lick. That must mean it's good then. "Alright, Brightfire it is."
AN: Yeah, I know, I put the Light Fury in - I couldn't not though! I saw the trailer for HTTYD 3 and I just had to put the dragon in! So...instead of Toothless being the last Night Fury, Toothless and Brightfire are the last two Furies. Other than that...not much is different at the moment. Enjoy! Please review if you've got suggestions!
PS. the Light Fury's name is entirely my own idea - given the names such as 'Stormfly' 'Hookfang', etc. it doesn't seem too crazy. That said, if anyone's got a better idea, I'm more than open to it.